


The Little Things

by VoidGhost



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:27:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21919063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoidGhost/pseuds/VoidGhost
Summary: The Hazbin Hotel is strange and new, and even though Tay is sure she might be damned forever, it might be worth a shot. Who knows what will happen?
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	The Little Things

**Author's Note:**

> For my Secret Santa this year, @Huemility!  
> Hope you enjoy!

The Hazbin Hotel stood tall over the rest of the neighboring buildings. Despite being owned by the princess of Hell, and featured on a live broadcast with said princess, there was no line of people scrambling to get inside. The hotel might as well be abandoned, if not for the few glowing windows along the first floor. 

Tay looked up at the towering building. She reached a hand for the doorknob - then pulled back. It would have been easier had there been a line. Then she wouldn’t feel like she was doing this alone. 

A distant explosion rocked the ground beneath her, making her ears prick up in that direction. Cherry Bomb was claiming territory again this morning. It would surely get dangerous out on the streets if she stayed there long. Muttering a curse under her breath, she knocked on the door before she could talk herself out of it. 

For a long moment, nothing happened. Tay almost walked away, but then she heard the lock shift. She froze in place as the door cracked open, revealing a narrowed, suspicious eye. 

They stood staring at each other for a moment, as if both parties were surprised at the other. Then the door swung open, and the manager of the Hazbin Hotel greeted her with a nervous smile. 

“Uh, hi!” She said with struggling cheer. “What are you….doing here?” 

Tay blinked. A sudden spike of anxiety made her wonder if this was the right place. “Uh. To check in.”

“Here?” The manager asked, as if in disbelief. “At the Hap-er, Hazbin Hotel?” 

Tay nodded, jerkily. 

She grinned. “Ok! Ok. Uh, come in!” She opened the door and allowed Tay to slip inside. She scanned the streets outside, as if Tay was apart of some secret ambush on the building. She closed the grand double doors of the hotel and made quick work of the several locks that still wouldn’t hold against any demon determined to get inside. 

“I’m Vaggie, the manager,” The demon said, her hands fluttering with frenetic energy. “The guy at the bar is Husk--” She gestured to the bar, where a cat demon appeared half-asleep and steadily taking swigs from a bottle of ‘Cheap Booze’. He did not wave back when Tay shyly lifted a hand. “--if you don’t like to drink, then it’s best to avoid him.”

Vaggie lead Tay past the lobby and towards the stairs. Just as Tay went to take a step up, a small one-eyed demon suddenly appeared, holding her foot and hastily vacuuming the step before allowing Tay to continue. 

“Hi! Are you new? I’m Niffty!” The demon didn’t pause in her cleaning duties to speak to Tay, but it wasn’t like she could get a word in anyway. “The stairs are awful, I apologize on behalf of management, but you can only expect so much! Anyway, why are there so many ladies here? Not that that’s bad! It would be refreshing for a handsome man to walk through that door, don’t you think? Well, lovely to meet you, don’t make a mess, have a nice day~!” 

The next second, the demon was gone, leaving behind a freshly vacuumed set of stairs. 

“Niffty’s part of the staff here,” Vaggie explained as they finally began to climb the stairs. “And Charlie, you probably know, is the owner. She and our... _sponsor_ are discussing additions to the hotel right now, you’ll meet her later.” 

The hallways on the upper floor of the hotel had the distinct feeling of a patchwork quilt. Like every room was from a different building and then shoved together, creating a nonsensical style, but at the same time, giving the feeling like there’s something here for everyone. 

“We only have one other tenant,” Vaggie explained. “He should be around, you’ll probably run into him. I’m you’ve heard of Angel Dust.”

Tay has more than heard of Angel Dust. He’s the main reason that Tay even had the courage to come to the hotel today. 

As a hellhound with a succubus leaning, it wasn’t a surprise that she had options on the table. She was sure that Porn Studios would still be happy to take her on should she want to. She had run into Angel Dust coincidentally - or, she began to suspect later that he was scouting for her - who had said that Valentin would offer her a job with unnamed benefits. Too anxious, or too stubborn, she had declined the offer. 

Tay had given up hope a long time ago that she could get out of the mess she’s in. Even after her death and proceeding stumble down the Nine Hells, she could still feel the chains around her ankles that secured her fate in the first place. 

But if this hotel could redeem someone like Angel Dust, then maybe it could help her, too. 

“I’ve met him, once,” Tay said vaguely. 

Vaggie sent her the shared grin of exasperation. “I know he doesn’t seem the type, but Charlie thinks he’s making progress.” 

Vaggie stopped outside a room and drew a keyring from her pocket. There was a single key on the ring, which was shaped like a skull. As she pressed the key into the room’s lock, it changed its shape to fit and the door swung open. 

“This is your room,” Vaggie said with a customer service grin. “Please let us know if it is not up to your standards. We have plenty of others available.” 

Tay stepped inside. The room, and the others as she could assume, was meant to be very comforting. There was a large plush bed with a stuffed animal sitting on the pillows. The lights were set to a soft yellow and curtains were drawn over the window. There were paintings on the wall depicting the classic Gates of Heaven to remind each resident the reason they were there. A basic dresser, closet, and shelf provided a space for her belongings. 

“Charlie plans dinner every night,” Vaggie said as Tay sat on the edge of the bed. “I can get you later when it’s ready?”

Tay gave a cautious smile. “That sounds nice.” 

Vaggie gave her a thumbs up before closing the door behind her. 

The moment she was alone, Tay fell back into the bed with a sigh. 

The room was pleasant, of course. The greeting was kinder than Tay expected. So far, the hotel was better than she imagined. 

So why was she still so doubtful?

Redeeming Angel Dust was one thing - compared to the other demons, he was part of the better lot - but her? Tay feared that she had chained herself so securely to the bottomless pit that there wasn’t any hope left for her. 

Well. Time will tell. 

She couldn’t stay still long enough to wait until dinner. 

With a huff, Tay stood from the bed and went exploring. 

The rest of the hotel was very large and very boring. With only two residents, plus a handful of staff, most of the floors went unused. Tay was certain the top few must be haunted despite being located in the afterlife.

On the ground floor, Tay passed Niffty again, who was busy dusting the corners and whatever had gathered on Tay’s tail before darting off again. Husk wore a constant scowl while he steadily drank from a bottomless bottle of booze, giving Tay the impression that he did not want to be bothered. Vaggie was nowhere to be seen, neither was Charlie, so that left--

“Oh heyyy, who let the dog in?” 

A pair of spindly arms found their way around her shoulders and waist as the face of Angel Dust towered over her. His grin widened when he saw her properly. 

“Oh I know you! Tay, isn’t it? Still declining Valentin’s offers? You’re missing out on a lotta good shit, toots,” Angel said. One of his other two hands waved around a melting popsicle. 

“Not really my scene,” Tay said with a barely-hidden grimace. 

Angel snorted. “Yeah, I got that. So what brings you here?” He stuck the popsicle in his mouth and started to lead Tay through the lobby. 

“Ah, well, after I saw you here, I thought maybe it was legit,” Tay said with a cautious smile. She watched the terf war broadcast on the day the Happy Hotel was announced. 

Angel cackled. “Oh yeah, as legit as a pipe dream.” When he saw Tay’s frown, he looked away and added, “If it makes you feel better, you did seemed too good to be down here.”

Tay gave him a small smile. Angel rolled his eyes. 

“Don’t let it get to your head,” He warned, before pulling away from her. “We’re all down here for one reason or another.” 

Then Angel spotted Husk at the bar and immediately grinned. He slinked up onto a barstool with a drawl of, “Hey there sugar…!” While Husk tried to disappear into the shelf of booze behind him. 

Tay considered following, but decided that it would only be embarrassing to witness Angel Dust in action. Instead, she lingered in the lobby for probably a bit too long until something interesting happened. 

‘Something interesting’ was the appearance of the Princess of Hell walking out of the dining room with the infamous Radio Demon trailing behind her. Tay was frozen to the spot, unsure if she should run and hide, or hope she goes unseen. 

No such luck either way. Charlie spotted her instantly and squealed in excitement, running up to her with an outstretched hand. 

“Hi! Vaggie told me we got a new guest!” She said, bouncing on her heels as she took Tay’s hand. “I’m Charlie! Oh, I’m sure you knew that. Well, uh, I’m the owner! Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel! I hope you settled in well!” 

She was smiling so brightly Tay couldn’t help nodding in agreement. 

“Oh, that’s good!” Charlie said with a grin. 

Behind her, someone cleared their throat. Tay crumpled in on herself as she saw the Radio Demon towering over them, smiling curiously from above. Charlie’s grin faltered nervously. 

“It’s Tay, right?” Charlie clarified. She gestured to the demon. “This is Alastor, our...sponsor.” 

Alastor snapped a hand out, sharp grin remaining frighteningly still. The air buzzed with static as he spoke, “It’s a pleasure.” 

Tay didn’t take the offered hand. She gave a weak wave and an attempt at a greeting, which came out as an intelligible squeak. Alastor cocked his head at her curiously. 

“O-kay!” Charlie interrupted the tense stare-off with a cheery smile. “Let’s go set the table, shall we?”

Demons don’t necessarily need to eat. That’s the benefit of the afterlife - they don’t need to take care of their bodies anymore. But Charlie insisted that ‘family dinners’ is a soul-building exercise that they should all partake in. From the portrait depicting Charlie with the King and Queen of Hell, Tay wondered if it was just wish fulfillment. 

Either way, everyone in the hotel, including their sponsor, was seated at a long dining table while Charlie served steaming plates of something resembling a meatloaf, a bowl of vaguely cooked vegetables, a bottle of sparkling cider, and a triple layer cake for dessert. Tay wondered if the questionable quality of the meal could be excused by Charlie’s lack of experience as a mortal. She wasn’t sure how much she wanted the ‘human’ feeling that Charlie was clearly trying to emulate for them.

At least, when Charlie wasn’t looking, Husk dumped a portion of his booze into the sparkling cider, and it felt a little bit more like everyday Hell. 

To the other occupants of the hotel, this must be how their average day is. Having a ‘family meal’ to hopefully heal their souls is not that out of the ordinary in the Hazbin Hotel, even to the staff. Even if most of the staff don’t eat what is served to them. Tay was at least polite enough to put a slice of mystery meat on her plate. 

As the dinner trailed on, Charlie appeared more and more glum. Vaggie was concerned enough to interrupt a conversation to ask her what was wrong. Charlie gave a loud sigh. 

“There’s not enough attention on the hotel,” Charlie explained, pushing around bits of steamed vegetables on her plate. “I thought the interview would help, but…” She frowned into her plate while Vaggie glared daggers at Angel. He only shrugged. “I’m not sure how successful we can be if we don’t draw more clients,” Charlie finished. 

Her eyes slowly slid to Alastor, who sat primly in his chair with that sharp grin, his plate untouched, hands clasped on the tablecloth, and appeared to be listening in, but did not offer any insight. Charlie frowned. 

“If she bothered to try, this little hellhound could _tempt_ anyone into admitting themselves,” Angel said, gesturing to Tay. 

“Ah,” Tay began with an awkward stutter. “I don’t really…” 

Charlie’s beaming grin made her trail off. “Can you? ‘Cause that would help us _so much_ you have no idea!” 

Tay watched Charlie’s hopeful expression and couldn’t find it in her to decline. With a nervously stretched grin, Tay nodded. 

Charlie tossed her arms in the air in celebration. “Yay! Thank-you thank-you thank-you Tay!”

As Tay sunk back in her seat, she found Alastor watching her, something contemplative in his narrowed eyes. Tay did her best to ignore it. 

There was a reason Tay didn’t tap into her succubus side. 

Not that she couldn’t. It’s very easy to use the demonic magic gifted to her. But Tay wasn’t a sexual person, if her timid appearance didn’t give that away. She felt she leaned more into her hellhound attributes these days, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t still a succubus. 

Yet, as she stood on the street just outside of the hotel, expected to bring in more attention, the other demons passed by her without a thought. Some even laughed. 

All she needed to do was _talk_ to people. Somehow convince them that they could be redeemed and admit themselves at the Hazbin Hotel. Not to mention that the hotel was already considered a joke throughout the pentagram. Angel Dust was supposedly doing the same thing, but he went off in a different direction with advice that Tay not follow him. 

Tay perked up slightly as she spotted a hellhound passing by. She was a mix of black and white, dressed like a goth in a studded collar, and seemed engrossed in whatever was on her phone. Tay steeled herself, and approached. 

“Uh, hello! Have you heard of the--” 

The hellhound snarled in her direction, interrupting her spiel with a warning bark that told anyone within a mile not to fuck with her. Tay flinched back, curling in on herself, as the other demon continued her walk, attention back on her phone. 

Behind her, Tay’s tail flickered. Her hands balled into fists. 

Furious, she stormed off down the street. Frustration and anxiety clouded her thoughts, drawing out more of her demonic colors that had other demons jumping out of her path. Tay couldn’t find it in herself to calm down until she was alone in the back of a building somewhere in the city. She leaned against a brick wall and took steady breaths, resisting the urge to sink her fist into the nearest solid object. 

Then - one second, Tay was alone, and the next, the air buzzed with electricity and she was faced with Alastor. 

For a moment, she didn’t know how to react. He stood there motionless, grin wide and sharp as always, his red eyes narrowed as he examined her. The environment beyond her peripheral vision seemed to fade into strange glyphs and static, any noise beyond this bubble Alastor has created distorted into a faint buzzing. If she wasn’t already aware of the abilities of the Radio Demon, then Tay would think she was hallucinating. 

“Hello, little lost dog,” Alastor greeted. He sunk the end of his staff into the ground as the demonic microphone emitted a low static noise. “You look like you could use a hand.” 

He held out his free hand and the dim lighting of the alleyway distorted into an eerie green. Tay narrowed her eyes. 

“I don’t need your help,” She growled. 

“No?” Alastor shrugged. He twirled his staff and clasped it. “Because it looked to me that you were struggling a bit back there to, ah, _lay on the charm_.” 

“Maybe I was!” Tay argued. “But I checked in to the Hazbin Hotel for a reason.” 

Alastor studied her for a moment before his grin cracked. Laughter erupted from deep in his chest, causing the eldritch shadows that lingered around the edge of their bubble to cackle. Tay felt the anger simmering inside of her start to dwindle. 

“You and I both know that there’s no chance of any demon being redeemed,” Alastor said as the buzzing surrounding them grew louder. “Especially _you_ , dear.” 

Tay crossed her arms. Her eyes lingered on the filthy alleyway ground. “I don’t know what you mean.” 

“Oh, dear,” Alastor crowed. “A sinner would have to be blind to not see the chains wrapped around your soul.” 

Tay cowered in on herself. 

“How many deals did you make on the surface?” Alastor continued his questioning. “It was enough to drag you down here. What was it for? A successful life? To live longer? Was it for love?” 

“No!” Tay argued, but didn’t elaborate. 

Alastor cocked his head at her. “Ah, well. Doesn’t matter. Not when it won’t change a thing. You’ll still be damned no matter how much you try to weasel your way out of here. No matter how much you try to be redeemed. So,” Alastor stuck his hand out. “What’s the harm in a little more help?” 

The odd green light intensified as Tay didn’t immediately decline. A phantom wind circled them and ruffled her fur. Alastor’s grin widened. 

Tay eyed the offered hand and closed her eyes. 

* * *

Nearly every room in the Hazbin Hotel is full of new residents. 

Currently, there was a line out the front door of sinners looking to check-in. Vaggie and Charlie were struggling to get everyone to their own rooms, while Niffty carefully cleaned the walkways as more demons piled in. Husk was studiously ignoring the bustle while pouring whoever wanted a shot. Alastor was nowhere to be seen, but nonetheless must be watching the entire proceedings. 

Some of those waiting in line appeared a little dazed, a little flustered. Some don’t realize that they’ve been charmed until they’re already checked in at their rooms. 

“So, just check into the hotel and you’ll be happy?” Asked the charmed horned demon as Tay ran a gentle finger down his arm. 

“Of course,” Tay said, her voice dropped into a sultry tone she had never heard from herself. “I’ll see you there.” 

Then she pressed a kiss to his cheek and he hurried off to get in line. 

There was some shame buried deep down at using her abilities like this, but seeing Charlie’s gratefulness was worth it. The Hotel was finally a success. 

A tugging somewhere deep in her soul reminded her that it was at the cost of her own redemption. Owing the Radio Demon meant that it was impossible to escape Hell. 

He would make sure of it. 

But, for now: she can be happy with her little achievements. Such as becoming an official member of the Hazbin Hotel’s staff. And seeing the first soul ascend the Nine Layers of Hell. 

Yeah. It’s the little things. 


End file.
